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Earth Scenes 



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POEMS WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



A. MAYNARD LYON. 




NEW YORK : 

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, 

73 Cedar Street. 



1*$^, 



it- 



.Lj 55 



Copyright 1880, by 
MAYNARD LYON. 
All rights reserved. 



Printing House of 

C. A. Coffin & Eookrs. 

85-87 John St., N, T. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 

All Original. Designed expressly for this Volume. 



Flight of Birds in Grief ...... 9 

My Body 's Old ........ 13 

The Dead of Every Age . • . . . . . 17 

For fain he 'd Reap . . .. . . 23 

And satisfy his Soul with good ..... 25 

A thoughtful Child \ . . , . . . 29 

Adam ......... 35 

All kinds in Earth and Sea . . . • . . -37 

Hiding from God after the First Transgression ... 39 

Eve . . . . . . . . . -43 

The First Choir • . . . . . .45 

Man's First Employments . . . . . -47 



Worship — Sacrifice — Adam and his Family . 



49 



Rest . . . . . . . . 51 

Nuptial Vows ........ 53 

Aurelian's Triumph . . . . . . -57 

Pride . . . . . . . . . 59 

Joy ......... 61 

Death ......... 63 

Tomb ......... 65 

Bride ......... 69 



PROEM. 



Retire, O Man ! review thy history ! 

Then come thou forth and the great present view — 

Then view the ages past — their silence feel, 

Then of tli uncertain future think and muse 

Till thou therein canst see a something new. 

O, seek for thoughts that inspiration lend ; 

For thoughts that one can think an hundred times. 

Ah ! thoughts that lift Man to celestial climes, 

And make his face to shine ivith love and grace 

Midst Heaven's great hosts — those hosts that dwell in space, 

And work for God— that God who holds all sway. 

O, see the spirit land, and God, and saints ; 
And faithful Man awaiting happiness — 

Then be content and wait salvations day. 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



At first God made the Universe. — The Sun 

And Moon and Stars appeared in heaven ; the Earth 

He decked ; then life He made in numberless forms, 

Including Man's unfathomable Soul. Then Man 

From dust he made. That soul and clay unite. 

Man breathes and speaks and moves ; — with God communes 

With joy, then views his paradisial home. 

But soon he 's lonesome, lonely ; though by God's 
Free gift, the world is his. God opes Adam's side, 
And takes a rib, of which he woman forms. 
And hence this wondrous twain are one — one bone, 
One flesh. 

All kinds in earth and sea their kinds 
Shall bear. 

God then freed man to use all things 
Save one, but sternly that forbade. Yet this 
He took and ate— then hid. Sin, Hate, and Shame 
Then hid— still hide. 

All creatures fell, and things 
Themselves. Blight came, 'fell on them all. Man's heart 
Grew sad ; ached then, aches now. Sun, Moon, and Stars 
Wept sombre light : Heaven wept, Earth quaked, and soon 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 

Gloomed Silence reigned. Yet man recovered, rose, 
And saw the wreck ; but soon was soothed, forgot 
His loss and fall : engaged in work ; for work 
He must, or perish — die. 

For simple food 
And clothes worked he for his lone spouse. Vile blood 
Grew in all things. Its marks then showed — still show. 
Adam ofttimes with offspring joined in song, 
In labor, worship, rest, and nuptial vows — 
Sweet vows. Birds oft flew near, perched on the boughs, 
Both high and low, sang spousals, chose their mates, 
And flew away. Man's race, from then till now, 
Have pledged in marriage troth, and spousals sung — 
They've toiled ; they've made things stately, grand and good. 
Their wondrous works, both new and old, are seen 
All round. 

Th' unending mind views childhood days, 
Meridian days, and darksome days; common 
And written laws, and its own history. 
It backward delves to the beginning. 
It views all works : — those in continuance, 
And those in dust ; Man's efforts, hopes, and woes ; 
His triumphs, pride, and joy ; His death, and tomb ; 
And the soul's flight to God, its source ; ripened 
In sin for woe ; else in good works for joy. 
With might and rectitude work, then, O man ! 
That thou may'st have vast realms in happiness. 

Lo, now all mortal things approach their end ! 
Eternal day is breaking ; sweet day, sweet ! 
O eolden bells, rina: loud, rina; fast ! O fill 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 

The world with heavenly cadences ! Wake ! Call 
The saints to bliss immortal ! Wake, Love, Wake ! 
O Bride ! arise and deck thyself in white ; 
For God cometh in his great chariot 
Of burnished gold, alighting up the heavens, 
Midst diamond suns that lighten ; — flash more than 
The Orient beams that wake the day, to take 
Thyself, Beloved of Heaven ! in Spousals 
To His triumphal home, among the angels. 

Anon, and God is seen among His saints ! 

The elements weep loud in ecstasies : 

In chariots of fire, and on heaven's steeds, 

The universal Loves descend to earth — 

In God-like raptures sing sweet spousals, 

To gladden Man, and fill him with Heaven's love 

And joyousness — for woes and griefs are ended ! 

And God lifts up his Saints, to wear love-laurels, 

And in them dwell with him forever. 




ETERNITY. 



Lo, in man's fall, hills, vales and plains are grieved ! 
Numberless birds fly from the direful scene — 
Sing plaints before the sun. 



ETERNITY. i 

In grief he hears 
Their mournful lays, then pales his light, since Man, 
God's noblest work, and the whole world, should die ! 
Then backward looks, in his eternal rounds, 
And views all things with joy ; now forward looks 
In his unending course, midst tears and joy, 
Because that sin with good must now abound, 
And man in joy and grief must alternate — 
Grow old and die. 

The infinite past and future 
Resemble circles, and contain all things ! 
The Future 's like the Past ; e'en one they are, 
And that great one 's th' eternal Now ! In heaven 
Now 's alway ; alway is now ! Hence man when there 
Shall see all things, shall be like God, and " see 
Him as he is ! " All of his works he then 
Must see ; else he '11 not " see him as he is ! " 
This sight makes heaven — is heaven ! Makes man like God, 
And, joined with love, 't will charm the soul forever. 
God's likeness this confers perpetually ! 
All things will then be man's, and man himself 
A part of God. That oneness will be one 
For aye : a wondrous mystery 's this ! 

But time 
Rolls on, and great minds grow — strange truths to grasp, 
And tell to marvelous man. Light hastes the time 
When man shall see high Heaven and God, and thus 
Have joy in full ; Heaven's God and Heaven embrace 
All space ; and man shall know them — in them dwell, 
Beyond the tomb, in their immeasurebleness ! 



ETERNITY. 

So man resembles God ; but God in His 

Creation is both God and man united ! 

God's infinite light from man now 's hid, and yet 

His grace and love are felt. These shadow light — 

That Light which makes all true souls great and wise. 




ANIMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 



My body 's old, my days are sliding off, 
My eyes are dim and partly closed ; and in 
This lone, this downward dark mysterious path 



ANIMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 15 

In which I faster, faster, journey on, 

Unnumbered brothers have I in the train ! 

Aspiringly they walk before, behind, 

And by my side ! Yet not a living soul 

Can give me aid or sympathy when I 

The mystic river cross ! Alone and lonely I 

Must blindly go, unless inviting lights 

Appear beyond, or Heavenly messengers 

Approach, and tell me of the better land, 

A land where I eternally can dwell, 

And show some worthy treasures of my zeal ! 

Each must this journey go, though fearfully, 
Regretting all his wicked thoughts and deeds, 
And yearning for some more repenting time, 
That better hope for future life may come. 
Among the brave the strong and hopeful youth 
I ever see decaying, dying men ; 
Their works and ways, both good and bad, I view. 
Some of their oldest works are tumbling down ; 
Some wholly hug the ground ; some are but dust, 
Which dust hath wedded other sleeping dust. 

The forests broad, and other natural growth 
Of nature's power, I likewise view. These all 
In turn shall die ! 



ANIMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 



17 




The dead of every age 
Rest on, and in the ground. The tottering, lame, 
And old, make lonesome shadows here and there ; 



AN IMA SEMPERJUVENIS. Ig 

Such shadows older, smaller, fainter grow — 

In time they wholly fade away ; for their 

Creators droop, languish, decay, fall down, 

And waste ; when lo ! their forms are wholly gone. 

Like other dust they form a part of earth. 

But Nature's boundless spirit grows not old ; 

And hence their cast-off dust it gives to form 

Some junior animals and plants. These then, 

Shall grow and bloom, make glad their kin and friends ; 

Good things enjoy, and ghostly shadows see : 

Then take their last sad lot, with myriads 

Of all the ages past, in shrouded death. 

Yet though man's body 's old, and weak, and dim 
His eyes, and partly closed ; his soul that speaks 
Infallibly, but gently, in the heart — 
Oft struggling there to guide his ways aright — 
And sees and feels, believes and hopes so much, — 
Shall never die, but bud perpetually, 
And bloom resplendently. How can the soul 
Grow old and yet not fade ! at three score 'tis 
As youthful as at ten. All fading things 
In time shall die, decay ; but that which yearns 
For life must live. Else why should faith and hope 
So fill the soul ? Or nature's spirit ever do 
Her perfect work, or man so work and strive 
To shed immortal fame ? 

Spirit divine ! 
Forgive man's unbelief ; and by thy light 
And love draw him to Thee, that he high heaven 
And God may see ; repent, believe, and cleave 



2o ANIMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 

To Him ! Thou God, thy grace and love on man, 
In this brief life bestow ! 

Some souls are as 
The morning of creation ; and they fly 
From globe to globe, and to vast starry worlds, 
All natural wonders to explore, and love, 
As though they had an universal home. 
But when through death's dark door great souls arise 
In perfect life, unnumbered works they'll do. 
As semblances and shadows are all these 
Of the incomprehensible Universe. 
Man's soul now 's lifted up, and filled with 
Amazing sights and thoughts of vastest works ; 
As though he yet were in the bloom of youth ; 
Nay, only dreamed of pressing on his way, 
Toward deeper, grander, sterner works of life, 
That hold, absorb, and grow the greatest souls 
For greatest deeds — which deeds are theirs to do. 

How good it is that man doth sometimes feel 
His youthful heart begin to beat again, 
With all its growing hopes and zeal and love ; — 
To run and babble like a mountain brook. 
For then he feels those sweet and charming things 
That captivate and chain the yearning mind, 
And more and more unfold his soul, and fill 
It with a power to do the noblest deeds. 
Deeds good and noble ever follow him, — 
Riches they give which satisfy the soul : 
And will, though the great universe should fail. 

O childhood thoughts ! Ye fill the heart and soul 



ANIMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 21 

But when kind nature's richest scenes engage 
A childlike heart, that heart they melt with love ; 
Such heart then hath no power to do bad deeds, 
But doth as truly serve a faithful God 
As lifeless things do natural laws obey. 

But to the choicest youth how great this world appears, 
And how majestically it rolleth on. 
How anxiously he waits till he his own 
Broad fields can sow ; — 



ANIMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 



2 3 




For fain he'd reap, and satisfy 



ANIMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 27 

Else by his aptitude 
So teach mankind, that bright new light 
Should fill the land, and make it eminent. 



ANIMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 



29 




A thoughtful child doth sometimes lift his eyes, 
And his great heart, up to the high blue sky, 
And muse, and think he sees his picture there, 



AN IMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 31 

And Heaven's pictures and happiness complete — 

Eternal happiness for which he hopes ! 

What ! Is he imaged in high heaven already? 

Strange thought is that, stranger the fact, but strange 

As 'tis his shining picture's there ! and he 

By Heaven's great hosts is known — is loved ; else strange 

It is that God himself abides with man. 

In Heaven a righteous man his semblance sees, 

E'en while on earth he lives as other men. 

When there his heart and soul are centralized ; 

Entranced then, his soul with joy o'erflows. 

This joy so opes the mind t' immensity, 

As to enlarge his every thought ; vast strength 

To give to it, and action buoyant, 

Though grief at times reigns in each dying thing. 

The world : how great and bright and good it is ! 
Inspiring things : Oh how they're scattered round ; 
And how their marvels ope and thrill my soul ! 
Thoughts permeate my substance, give it joy — 
Exhalted joy, and inexpressible, 
E'en from the heart quite to the finger ends. 
And yet the soul immortal is all one has ; 
The rest is of the earth ; 'tis only clay. 

Some souls in time have marvelous power to see 
Prophetic things, as well as wonders past. 
Sublimely pregnant is the rolling time 
With changing things, and things that never change. 
What are the things that change, and fall from view, 
But earth-born ones, conceived and reared to serve 
Their day upon the stage of life — and die ! 



32 AN IMA SEMPERJUVENIS. 

On every hand their countless hosts survey ; 
Their pride, their graces, and their wonders view, 
Till age doth show their failing, dying power ; 
Then by them judge of every mortal thing. 

Man, mourn not for thy frail and changing clay, 
For thou'st much more than clay to nurture and adorn,- 
Thy gem 's a soul that cannot droop and die. 
All good souls brighter grow ; they give 
Effulgent and expanding lights, and leave 
Their blazes pure in all their wakes. Such lights 
No mortal eye can see ; yet they are felt, 
They aid to make men's earthly homes all sweet 
And joyous, and right fit abodes for heaven's 
Ministering spirits, sent to such as shall 
Be heirs of light, to teach and hold them up, 
And finally conduct them to the sky, 
Where works immortal and innumerable 
So beautify, exalt, and dignify 
The scene, that Diety, who reigns o'er all, 
Is in them truly known. And when to Him 
His hosts lift up their eyes, they're lost in love, 
Adoring acts, and in seraphic lays. 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



At first God made the Universe. — The Sun 

And Moon and Stars appeared in heaven ; the Earth 

He decked ; then life He made in numberless forms, 

Including Man's unfathomable Soul. Then Man 

From dust he made. That soul and clay unite. 

Man breathes and speaks and moves ; — with God communes ; 

With joy, then views his paradisial home. 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



35 




But soon he 's lonesome, lonely ; though by God's 
Free gift, the world is his. God opes Adam's side, 
And takes a rib, of which he woman forms. 
And hence this wondrous twain are one — one bone, 
One flesh. 



"■MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED, 



37 




All kinds in earth and sea their kinds 
Shall bear. 

God then freed man to use all things 
Save one, but sternly that forbade. 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



39 




Yet this 
He took and ate — then hid. Sin, Hate, and Shame 
Then hid — still hide. 



MA N A ND HIS TOR Y IMA GED. 4 1 



All creatures fell, and things 
Themselves. Blight came, fell on them all. Man's heart 
Grew sad ; ached then, aches now. Sun, Moon, and Stars 
Wept sombre light : Heaven wept, Earth quaked, and soon 
Gloomed Silence reigned. Yet man recovered, rose, 
And saw the wreck ; but soon was soothed, forgot 
His loss and fall : engaged in work ; for work 
He must, or perish — die. 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



43 




For simple food 
And clothes worked he for his lone spouse. Vile blood 
Grew in all things. Its marks then showed — still show. 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



45 




Adam ofttimes with offspring joined in song, 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



49 




Worship, 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



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Rest, 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



53 




And nuptial vows- 



MAN AND HISTOR Y IMA GED. 55 



Sweet vows. Birds oft flew near, perched on the boughs, 
Both high and low, sang spousals, chose their mates, 
And flew away. Man's race, from then till now, 
Have pledged in marriage troth, and spousals sung — 
They've toiled ; they've made things stately, grand and good. 
Their wondrous works, both new and old, are seen 
All round. 

Th' unending mind views childhood days, 
Meridian days, and darksome days ; common 
And written laws, and its own history. 
It backward delves to the beerinninsr. 
It views all works : — those in continuance, 
And those in dust ; Man's efforts, hopes, and woes ; 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



61 




And joy ; 



MAN AND HISTOR Y IMA GED. 63 




His death, 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



65 




And tomb : 



MAN AND HISTOR Y IMA GED. 67 



And the soul's flight to God, its source ; ripened 
In sin for woe ; else in good works for joy. 
With might and rectitude work, then, O man ! 
That thou may'st have vast realms in happiness. 

Lo, now all mortal things approach their end ! 
Eternal day is breaking ; sweet day, sweet ! 
O golden bells, ring loud, ring fast ! O fill 
The world with heavenly cadences ! Wake ! Call 
The saints to bliss immortal ! Wake, Love, Wake ! 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 



69 




O Bride ! arise and deck thyself in white 



MAN AND HISTORY IMAGED. 71 



For God cometh in his great chariot 

Of burnished gold, alighting up the heavens, 

Midst diamond suns that lighten ; — flash more than 

The Orient beams that wake the day, to take 

Thyself, Beloved of Heaven ! in Spousals 

To His triumphal home, among the angels. 

Anon, and God is seen among His saints ! 

The elements weep loud in ecstasies : 

In chariots of fire, and on heaven's steeds, 

The universal Loves descend to earth — 

In God-like raptures sing sweet spousals, 

To gladden Man, and fill him with Heaven's love 

And joyousness — for woes and griefs are ended ! 

And God lifts up his Saints, to wear love-laurels, 

And in them dwell with him forever. 



^iiIImS 






■m 







LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

III1MBIIIL 

015 762 675 9 W 




